Jean-Francois Caron – författare

Supported by genuine historical cases, this book argues that certain new technologies in warfare can not only be justified within the current framework of the just war theory, but that their use is mandatory from a moral perspective.Technological developments raise questions about the manner in which wars ought to be fought. The growing use of drones, capacity-increasing technologies, and cyberattacks are perceived by many as posing great challenges to Just War Theory. Instead of seeing these technologies as inherently unethical, this book adopts a different perspective by arguing that they are morally necessary since they can limit the potential violations of the moral rules of war and ensure that militaries better respect their obligation to protect their members. Caron’s research offers insights into how and under what conditions autonomous or semi-autonomous robots, artificial intelligence, cyberwarfare, and capacityincreasing technologies can be considered as legitimate weapons.This book will be of interest to students, members of the armed forces, and scholars studying Politics, International Relations, Security Studies, Ethics, and Just War Theory.

This book explores the forms of fear that are becoming more visible in liberal democracies and how they now tend to condition our existences in a way that is detrimental to our personal freedom. The author explores how the conception of human existence that now dominates in liberal societies and that places the highest value on the preservation of life at all costs plays a significant role in this regard. He explores the origin of this form of biopolitics that has emerged after the end of the Cold War and shows how it has dramatically changed our relationship with the state and also explains how this new dynamic has been favourable to the imposition of disproportional restrictions on our individual freedom. The COVID-19 pandemic has indeed shown that when the fear of dying ends up taking precedence over any other considerations, individuals and societies are led on an illiberal path that can only contribute to the gradual erosion of their liberties and to the development and acceptance of a new type of governance that justifies the imposition of liberticidal measures. This book will appeal to scholars and students of political theory and comparative democracy, civil rights advocates, and media professionals interested in questions related to liberalism and its post-Cold War evolution.

This book explores the forms of fear that are becoming more visible in liberal democracies and how they now tend to condition our existences in a way that is detrimental to our personal freedom. The author explores how the conception of human existence that now dominates in liberal societies and that places the highest value on the preservation of life at all costs plays a significant role in this regard. He explores the origin of this form of biopolitics that has emerged after the end of the Cold War and shows how it has dramatically changed our relationship with the state and also explains how this new dynamic has been favourable to the imposition of disproportional restrictions on our individual freedom. The COVID-19 pandemic has indeed shown that when the fear of dying ends up taking precedence over any other considerations, individuals and societies are led on an illiberal path that can only contribute to the gradual erosion of their liberties and to the development and acceptance of a new type of governance that justifies the imposition of liberticidal measures. This book will appeal to scholars and students of political theory and comparative democracy, civil rights advocates, and media professionals interested in questions related to liberalism and its post-Cold War evolution.

Multicultural Citizenship: Legacy and Critique allows the philosopher an opportunity to consider the evolution and transformation of Will Kymlicka’s theories from Multicultural Citizenship: A Liberal Theory of Minority Rights.Canonical in the field of multiculturalism, Will Kymlicka’s work developed an original way of recognizing and accommodating ethnic groups and national minorities through liberal democratic principles. This new volume brings together expert scholars to evaluate the impact of Kymlicka’s book on their own views and the field’s general progression over the past three decades and brings Kymlicka to face new questions challenging multiculturalism and re-evaluate the main ideas of his original theory by reflecting on its development. Through engagement with the contributors’ chapters, Kymlicka ends this edited collection with proposals for new ways of understanding multiculturalism at a time of rising anti-immigration populism and natalist movements.This book offers a modern outlook on multiculturalism with contributions from a diverse group of authors as well as Will Kymlicka himself and will be of great interest to scholars and students of migration, nationalism, minority rights, sociology, law, and politics.

Multicultural Citizenship: Legacy and Critique allows the philosopher an opportunity to consider the evolution and transformation of Will Kymlicka’s theories from Multicultural Citizenship: A Liberal Theory of Minority Rights.Canonical in the field of multiculturalism, Will Kymlicka’s work developed an original way of recognizing and accommodating ethnic groups and national minorities through liberal democratic principles. This new volume brings together expert scholars to evaluate the impact of Kymlicka’s book on their own views and the field’s general progression over the past three decades and brings Kymlicka to face new questions challenging multiculturalism and re-evaluate the main ideas of his original theory by reflecting on its development. Through engagement with the contributors’ chapters, Kymlicka ends this edited collection with proposals for new ways of understanding multiculturalism at a time of rising anti-immigration populism and natalist movements.This book offers a modern outlook on multiculturalism with contributions from a diverse group of authors as well as Will Kymlicka himself and will be of great interest to scholars and students of migration, nationalism, minority rights, sociology, law, and politics.

This book considers the core theoretical concepts central to understanding Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, providing a clear view of what machines can achieve and what sets them apart from humans. Adopting a balance between an overly critical view fuelled by fear and an uncritical openness based upon the potential benefits, the author argues human uniqueness isn’t inherently threatened by these new technologies, but this does not mean we should use them without restrictions or care. Importantly, he considers the ways human uniqueness will have to evolve as more of our current tasks become automated, and the potential for great improvements in the human condition this might bring as we are forced to shift our attention towards the tasks only we can fully achieve. This accessible, thorough analysis offers anyone interested in the positive and negative implications of AI, autonomous robots, machine-learning, and other technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to enjoy a broad, accessible, and theoretically sound overview of what the new technologies mean to us as humans.

This book considers the core theoretical concepts central to understanding Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, providing a clear view of what machines can achieve and what sets them apart from humans. Adopting a balance between an overly critical view fuelled by fear and an uncritical openness based upon the potential benefits, the author argues human uniqueness isn’t inherently threatened by these new technologies, but this does not mean we should use them without restrictions or care. Importantly, he considers the ways human uniqueness will have to evolve as more of our current tasks become automated, and the potential for great improvements in the human condition this might bring as we are forced to shift our attention towards the tasks only we can fully achieve. This accessible, thorough analysis offers anyone interested in the positive and negative implications of AI, autonomous robots, machine-learning, and other technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to enjoy a broad, accessible, and theoretically sound overview of what the new technologies mean to us as humans.

In this book, scholars from political science, economics, philosophy, history, and geopolitics offer critical insights into the conflict in Ukraine and the way it is changing the world order. These international experts explore the nature of the Russian regime; its stance toward the West; insights into the strategic, moral, and legal aspects of the conflict; and an appraisal of Western responses in terms of military aid to Ukraine, power competition, and value-driven alliances. The war in Ukraine is often seen as the final nail in the coffin of the post–Cold War order of Liberal convergence, and the opening of a new multipolar reality. This project offers a multifaceted view of the conflict and its consequences and will be of great interest to IR scholars, specialists of Russian politics and geopolitics.

This provocative and timely book challenges conventional wisdom about political legitimacy. While democratic social contracts are traditionally viewed as the only legitimate form of governance, it reveals how authoritarian states maintain stability and popular support without relying solely on repression.The author dissects the “authoritarian social contract”—a tacit agreement between rulers and citizens based not on political participation but on the delivery of three critical benefits: social mobility and prosperity, safety and security, and a sphere of negative freedom outside the political realm, to show that when these benefits are successfully provided, authoritarian regimes can achieve remarkable stability and genuine popular support. He also demonstrates how democracies worldwide are experiencing legitimacy crises precisely because they are failing to deliver these same fundamental benefits. As democratic nations witness declining social mobility, security challenges, and paradoxically, increasing state interference in personal freedoms, they face the same expressions of grievance and anti-regime activism historically seen in failing authoritarian states and risk the same fate that befell such regimes in the late 1980s and early 1990s.This book is essential reading for political scientists, policymakers, and anyone concerned with the future of democratic governance.

Supported by genuine historical cases, this book argues that certain new technologies in warfare can not only be justified within the current framework of the just war theory, but that their use is mandatory from a moral perspective.Technological developments raise questions about the manner in which wars ought to be fought. The growing use of drones, capacity-increasing technologies, and cyberattacks are perceived by many as posing great challenges to Just War Theory. Instead of seeing these technologies as inherently unethical, this book adopts a different perspective by arguing that they are morally necessary since they can limit the potential violations of the moral rules of war and ensure that militaries better respect their obligation to protect their members. Caron’s research offers insights into how and under what conditions autonomous or semi-autonomous robots, artificial intelligence, cyberwarfare, and capacityincreasing technologies can be considered as legitimate weapons.This book will be of interest to students, members of the armed forces, and scholars studying Politics, International Relations, Security Studies, Ethics, and Just War Theory.

The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the serious crisis of political authorities that liberal societies are currently experiencing. Indeed, a significant number of individuals living in these societies did not hesitate to defy the sanitary rules enacted by their government which has made it difficult for them to stop the virus from spreading. What can explain such a situation? This is what this book is discussing. Whether it is the growing popularity of conspiracy theories, the distrust towards governments or cultural and religious beliefs that take precedence over the respect of governments’ directives, all these factors that have led so many individuals to act in an irresponsible way during the pandemic find their roots in the liberal tradition as it originated in the 18th century and in its more recent development which has had the effect of decentralizing the individual from his collective responsibilities in favor of an almost unlimited enjoyment of his individual freedom. This health crisis has revealed the urgency for liberal societies to establish a better balance between collective interest and individual freedom through responsible citizenship capable of protecting its citizens against the adoption of draconian measures when they will be struck again by upcoming pandemics that appear to be unfortunately inevitable.

It is being said that we should all be proud of the way we are confronting the Covid-19 pandemic. Rather than privileging profits and trade, Western societies have made the noble decision to save lives at all costs. Indeed, the logic that has prevailed is that accepting any trade-off between saving lives and saving the economy is an unacceptable and monstrous idea, which is why liberal democracies worldwide have chosen to shutter businesses and force people to self-quarantine in their homes as much and for as long as possible. A vast majority of citizens and political leaders deemed that acting otherwise would have been nothing else but pure moral bankruptcy. Is it, however, possible that Western societies have gone the wrong way by embracing this inherently basic and impoverished version of life? The reason why a significant majority of us are unable to see this truth is because of our refusal to accept death and the tragic essence of human life which is the result of the various cultural parameters we have grown accustomed to over the past decades that followed WWII. The Covid-19 pandemic has simply been the triggering factor that has allowed these factors to reinforce the full strength they wield on our understanding of life. Defined primarily by a fear of death, the desire to prolong life as much as possible and minimize the hurdles individuals have to face during their existence has created a beast that is, in appearance, reassuring to the fearful creatures we have become. This beast has asepticized societies that refute the tragic nature of life and are willing to hinder individuals’ freedom and what makes our existence inherently humane. However, without realizing it, this Leviathan that now takes the form of a "nanny state" has altered our nature from individuals able and encouraged to enjoy life to people whose only destiny is to simply survive for as long as possible, without any other purpose than to avoid anything that might jeopardize this objective.

Throughout history, states have tried to create the perfect combatant with superhuman physical and cognitive features that are akin to those of comic book superheroes. However, the current innovations have nothing to do with the ones from the past and their development goes beyond a simple technological perspective. On the contrary, they are raising the prospect of a human enhancement revolution that will change the ways with which future wars will be fought and may even profoundly alter the foundations upon which our modern societies are built on. This book, which discusses the full ethical implications of these new technologies, is a unique contribution for students and scholars who care about the morality of warfare.

Throughout history, states have tried to create the perfect combatant with superhuman physical and cognitive features that are akin to those of comic book superheroes. However, the current innovations have nothing to do with the ones from the past and their development goes beyond a simple technological perspective. On the contrary, they are raising the prospect of a human enhancement revolution that will change the ways with which future wars will be fought and may even profoundly alter the foundations upon which our modern societies are built on. This book, which discusses the full ethical implications of these new technologies, is a unique contribution for students and scholars who care about the morality of warfare.

When we take a look back at the way Western states have fought terrorist organizations in the last 20 years, it is difficult not to think that these alternatives to war might have been more ethical than the decisions to invade Afghanistan and Iraq in 2001 and in 2003. These cases speak for themselves as they have both led to the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, which is highly paradoxical in light of the logic that supported these interventions. There is a need to think of alternatives to war that will imply the legitimization of proactive sets of measures that would allow states to effectively prevent terrorist attacks through the use of kinetic force in a limited extent as a way to avoid the terrible and unpredictable effects of wars. Violent Alternatives to War: Justifying Actions Against Contemporary Terrorism engages in a moral discussion of the challenges associated with violent alternatives to war when confronting terrorism and suggests a comprehensive approach to how this form of violence can be legitimized and how it ought to be used against this contemporary threat.

The Moral Dilemmas of Fighting Terrorism and Guerrilla Groups discusses the most important ethical dilemmas associated with the fight against terrorist organizations and guerilla groups by providing readers with a rigorous, yet accessible analysis of how these forms of violence can be justified and how they ought to be fought by entities targeted by groups resorting to these strategies. It will be valuable to anyone interested in understanding the main ethical questions associated with these forms of political violence and the way they can be addressed. After providing conceptual clarifications that will allow the reader to distinguish between terrorism and guerrilla warfare, it explains and discusses what the criteria are that can justify resorting to lethal violence on the part of the latter group as well as the criteria that can determine the identity of those who can legitimately be targeted by these groups. The book analyzes when terrorists ought to be targeted and how this can be done, focusing on the inherent problems associated with the solutions that are normally used against state actors in order to prevent attacks on their part, namely what can be coined as “non-violent alternatives to war”, such as economic or diplomatic sanctions, arm embargoes and non-violent resistance and, on the other hand, preemptive attacks.

Looking back at the "War on Terror" and its policies, actions, and the violence that followed, this book analyzes the resulting changes in international power structures and the relationship between citizens and their representatives. It defines our shortcomings in opposing this type of violence by demonstrating how the notion of legitimate violence has been broadened. The impact of the "War on Terror" on the public view of Liberalism is explored, as well as its effects on the role of state authorities in our lives. Thus, this book names the lessons we ought to learn from the　actions taken against terrorist organizations.

When we take a look back at the way Western states have fought terrorist organizations in the last 20 years, it is difficult not to think that these alternatives to war might have been more ethical than the decisions to invade Afghanistan and Iraq in 2001 and in 2003. These cases speak for themselves as they have both led to the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, which is highly paradoxical in light of the logic that supported these interventions. There is a need to think of alternatives to war that will imply the legitimization of proactive sets of measures that would allow states to effectively prevent terrorist attacks through the use of kinetic force in a limited extent as a way to avoid the terrible and unpredictable effects of wars. Violent Alternatives to War: Justifying Actions Against Contemporary Terrorism engages in a moral discussion of the challenges associated with violent alternatives to war when confronting terrorism and suggests a comprehensive approach to how this form of violence can be legitimized and how it ought to be used against this contemporary threat.

The Moral Dilemmas of Fighting Terrorism and Guerrilla Groups discusses the most important ethical dilemmas associated with the fight against terrorist organizations and guerilla groups by providing readers with a rigorous, yet accessible analysis of how these forms of violence can be justified and how they ought to be fought by entities targeted by groups resorting to these strategies. It will be valuable to anyone interested in understanding the main ethical questions associated with these forms of political violence and the way they can be addressed. After providing conceptual clarifications that will allow the reader to distinguish between terrorism and guerrilla warfare, it explains and discusses what the criteria are that can justify resorting to lethal violence on the part of the latter group as well as the criteria that can determine the identity of those who can legitimately be targeted by these groups. The book analyzes when terrorists ought to be targeted and how this can be done, focusing on the inherent problems associated with the solutions that are normally used against state actors in order to prevent attacks on their part, namely what can be coined as “non-violent alternatives to war”, such as economic or diplomatic sanctions, arm embargoes and non-violent resistance and, on the other hand, preemptive attacks.

We often think of the army as an institution whose members are required to blindly obey all orders they receive. However, this perception is inaccurate. Disobedience is a fundamental professional obligation of members of the military and overrides the obligation to follow commands. But what is the extent of this obligation? Are soldiers obligated to participate in what they consider to be an illegal war, or should they be allowed to enjoy a right to selective conscientious objection? Should soldiers obey a legal order that, if followed, would facilitate the perpetration of war crimes by a third party? How should soldiers act if they are ordered to follow a lawful order that could result in immoral consequences? Should soldiers be allowed to refuse to obey what can be labeled as suicidal orders? Based upon the nature of soldiers’ professional obligations, this book tries to offer answers to these important questions. The author turns to a number of different case-studies, including conscientious objections, duty to protect in genocidal situations such as Rwanda and Srebrenica, suicidal orders in wars, as well as retribution and leniency towards war criminals, as a way of assessing the different legal and ethical implications of disobedience in the military.

If war is a timeless reality of mankind, the ways and means whereby it is conducted have nonetheless evolved over time due to new technologies and innovative military strategies. For the most part, however, they have not challenged the ethical rules of warfare. The rapid rise in the use of automated weapons, the growing popularity of remotely controlled weapons, the development in soldiers’ enhancement technologies, of hybrid warfare and the impact of gender equality are all posing tremendous moral challenges affecting the traditional warrior ethos, the justification of killing and criminal responsibility. This begs the question: to what degree are the ways and means of modern warfare keeping pace with the current technological evolutions and societal values? Based upon a selection of presentations made at the 2022 annual conference of the International Society for Military Ethics in Europe (Euroisme), this book contains a variety of reflections on this question.

This book examines Kazakhstan’s struggle to distance itself from its Soviet past over 25 years after its independence. To a very large extent, the affirmation of its sovereignty and a unique Kazakhstani way remain largely a matter of rhetoric. This book looks to explain the various aspects that show the continuity of Kazakhstan’s political system and governance with its colonial legacy, namely through its foreign policy, the country’s environmental policies, the judicial system, the management of religious diversity, the way youth organizations are structured and administered or how those who were born after the collapse of Soviet Union are still showing a typical Soviet behavioral attitude towards the political sphere.What are the reasons for this reluctance or incapacity to break away from these ties of the past? Will the unavoidable political transition that will bring new individuals to the head of the state contribute to a real change? Will this lead to a break with thecountry’s past and a radical shift in the country’s policies or will things remain as they have been since 1991? This book provides some valuable insights on what may happen in the near future to the biggest country of Central Asia.

This Pivot updates the ideas of the famous political philosopher from the Italian Renaissance, Machiavelli, for the 21st century, using case studies from the West and from Kazakhstan to demonstrate the utility of Machiavelli's ideas for contemporary political life.

This book tries to understand the lessons we ought to learn from the Covid-19 crisis as well as the profound transformations this pandemic will bring to the world order. This timely book will be of interest to scholars in Political Science and philosophy, as well as to general readers interested in what the post Covid-19 world may resemble.

This book aims at shedding light on the reasons why the death rates during the pandemic were so high in Central Asia. Lastly, this book also proposes analysis of how the pandemic has contributed to show the inherent vulnerabilities of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan by focusing on their immediate and future political consequences.

This book proposes an interdisciplinary look at the culture of shame in Central Asia and evaluates its role in the regulation of social and political interactions in the region.

This book proposes an interdisciplinary look at the culture of shame in Central Asia and evaluates its role in the regulation of social and political interactions in the region.

Dieses Buch wirft einen interdisziplinären Blick auf die Kultur der Scham in Zentralasien und bewertet ihre Rolle bei der Regulierung der sozialen und politischen Interaktionen in der Region.